Typically, semiconductor devices such as sensors are manufactured by mounting a semiconductor chip to a leadframe, electrically connecting die pads on the semiconductor chip to leadframe leads, and enclosing the semiconductor chip and a portion of the leadframe within a packaging material. The semiconductor device is then mounted to a substrate by soldering the leads to corresponding bond pads on a substrate such as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). In the example of a sensor, one or both sides of the semiconductor chip are exposed to an ambient environment via ports that are adhesively coupled to the packaging material.
A drawback with this type of sensor is that the packaging material, the material of the ports, and the adhesive material each have different coefficients of thermal expansion. Thus, when the semiconductor device is thermally stressed, the materials expand or contract at different rates, imparting a mechanical stress on the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die, which contains the sensor transducer, then produces erroneous results. Therefore, the sensor produces erroneous results. Another drawback to this type of sensor is that the step of soldering the leads to the substrate imparts a mechanical stress on the semiconductor die so that the sensor produces erroneous results.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have an apparatus and method for reducing stress on a semiconductor die. It would be of further advantage for the apparatus to be have a small form factor and be easily and cost effectively integrated into standard manufacturing processes.